This critical access hospital is just minutes from the main entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park, which draws more than 4 million visitors a year from around the world. The hospital treats patients for altitude sickness, hiking accidents and lightning strikes as well as heart attacks, pulmonary embolisms, and a variety of conditions and diseases.

“Our goal is to quickly and accurately assess patients to determine if we can treat them here or if they need to be transported to larger hospitals in the area. Digital radiography systems allow physicians to view high-quality X-ray images in seconds and make decisions that help achieve the best outcome for our patients,” said Brigitte Foust, director of diagnostic imaging, Estes Park Medical Center.

As part of the equipment upgrade that converted the hospital from computed radiography to digital radiography, Foust and her staff evaluated offerings from major imaging suppliers and chose Carestream for its mobile and room-based digital imaging systems.

“Carestream’s imaging systems offer advanced features and imaging software capabilities as well as ease of use. We also prefer the enhanced image quality and lighter weight offered by Carestream’s DRX Plus detectors,” Foust reported.

A Carestream DRX-Revolution Mobile X-ray System captures portable imaging studies for ER and OR patients as well as inpatients. The staff uses Carestream DRX Plus detectors in 25 x 30 cm and 35 x 43 cm sizes. The portable X-ray system also offers software features that help physicians verify positioning for tube and line placements, according to Foust.

A fully automated Carestream DRX-Evolution Plus system with a fixed wall stand and elevating table captures cross-table, spine, abdomen, long-length, scoliosis and other types of imaging studies. A motorized overhead tube automatically tracks detector movement for fast source-to-detector alignment, which reduces fatigue and repetitive stress injuries for technologists. A remote control lines up the X-ray tube to either Bucky to further streamline the imaging process.

The staff retrofitted its existing radiography/fluoroscopy system with a Carestream DRX Plus 3543 detector to deliver rapid access to patient images.